You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2017 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2017 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

The Abbey School, Faversham. OFSTED May 2013 - Good. Has been picking up in reputation over past five years.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st preferences

not offered

Vacant

places

2014

210

141

0

12

2015

210

154

0

0

2016

210

164

0

0

2017

230

200

3

0

2018

210

199

12

0

For 2017 entry, oversubscribed with first choices for the first time even after having expanded by 20 places. In recent years has been picking up pupils from Whitstable.

The Archbishop's School, Canterbury. Was a very popular Canterbury school. The school has small classes but surprisingly did not attract a good OFSTED having been found to Require Improvement in both 2012 and October 2013. However most recent OFSTED in January 2016 found that the school is now Good.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st preferences

not offered

2014

140

137

16

2015

140

112

3

2016

140

101

6

2017

150

125

17

2018

140

96

9

Popularity feel away sharply in 2014, following oversubscription numbers greater than 50. It now appears to be picking up again under new headteacher.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

4

2

2015

0

0

2016

0

0

2017

0

0

With traditionally a high number of grammar school appeals successful, it is likely that nearly all who persevere will secure a place, as can be seen by the absence of appeals in the past three years.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Score

2014

n/a

n/a

48

2015

n/a

n/a

48

2016

-0.31

45.2

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

-0.38 (BA)

38.3

19%

-0.42 (BA)

2018

-0.32 (BA)

38.9

12%

===========================================================

Astor College (A Specialist College for the Arts), Dover. 10% of places awarded on ability in the visual arts. The school is part of the Dover Federation of the Arts, in conjunction with Shatterlocks Infant School, Barton Junior School and White Cliffs Primary College of the Arts. OFSTED March-July 2015, after a controversial series of events, when the school was initially placed in Special Measures, it was found to Require Improvement, down from Good. Plenty of vacancies each year. See article. GCSE performance hovers around the government floor standard each year, falling below it to 35% A*-Cs for 2014 and 29% for 2015. Given full warningby government as to its performance in October 2015. Still run by controversial Chief Executive Chris Russell, although he retired from his seconded position as Executive Principal of the Duke of York's Royal Military School, also an academy in Dover, in December 2016.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

Vacant

places

2014

210

155

24

2015

210

151

28

2016

210

109

86

2017

210

101

84

2018

210

120

9

2018 58 LAAs; No admission appeals.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Score

2014

n/a

n/a

35

2015

n/a

n/a

29

2016

-0.22

40.8

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

-0.45 (BA)

32.8

9%

-0.26(BA)

2018

-0.75 (WBA)

33.3

6%

You will find the latest coverage of ongoing controversy here. Suffers academically from additional pupils being selected locally for grammar school through the Dover Test. Progress 8 sixth lowest in Kent in 2017, Attainment 8 Sixth lowest. Similar in 2018.

==========================================================

Aylesford School - Sports College.Completely rebuilt around 2010 under a PFI scheme.OFSTED January 2014 - Good. After a periodwhen the school was not popular, it was oversubscribed for 2014 and 2015. Now on nosedive, with Ofsted Nov 2017 Requires Improvement and some of the lowest GCSEs in Kent. Now taken over as a sponsored academy by Wrotham School.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st preferences

not offered

Vacant

places

2014

180

151

0

9

2015

180

183

23

0

2016

180

120

0

32

2017

180

104

0

16

2018

2180

280

20

24

Numbers boosted by children from Bluebell Hill area in Medway, 25 in 2017, 20 in 2018.

46 LAAs in 2018.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

0

0

2015

5

5

2016

0

0

2017

0

0

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Score

2014

n/a

n/a

37

2015

n/a

n/a

30

2016

-0.56

41.0

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

-1.05 (WBA)

32.1

9%

-0.33(BA)

2018

-0.70 (WBA)

34.7

12%

Previously above government floor standards for GCSE, the school slipped for 2014 and 2015. Progress 8 and Attainment 8 both third lowest in Kent in 2017, as popularity has slumped.

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2017 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2017 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

Barton Court Grammar School, Canterbury. Mixed. OFSTED March 2014 -Outstanding. Major expansion of premises taking place. Took over Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs, as a sponsored academy. Consistently one of the lowest Sixth Form staying on rate of any Kent grammar school: 2016, - 77%; 2017 - 76%. Many of the Sixth Form leavers may have been attracted to Simon Langton Boys which has a large (and successful) mushroom Sixth Form. School has looked several times at an annexe or more recently a complete move to Herne Bay, but has settled for a major expansion on site after the latter proved unpopular and funding became available.

The fall in popularity of Simon Langton Girls has increased pressure on places at age 11 over the past three years.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

68

14

2015

54

35

2016

74

30

2017

49

9

2018

74

7

For 2018, 6 of the successful appeals were from the 16 appellants qualified for grammar school

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Score

2014

n/a

n/a

97

2015

n/a

n/a

94

2016

0.28

64.6

Grade 5 or above

in Eng & Maths

2017

0.55(WAA)

65.44

88%

-0.22(BA)

2018

0.14(A)

64.5

83%

-0.15(BA)

====================================================================

Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Tunbridge Wells. OFSTED June 2012 - Outstanding.Sponsored by and Lead School of the Tenax Schools Trust. Heavily oversubscribed with pupils from families with strong Christian affiliation. Check oversubscription criteria carefully. Consult them closely, as there are subtle interpretations of the broad categories. Clearly it helps to be an educated intelligent Christian! Pressure on non-selective places in Tunbridge Wells has seen KCC finance capital expenditure for two additional forms of entry. However, as there is no geographical basis for admission priority, many of these have gone to children from East Sussex which does not ease pressure. 28 Sussex places awarded in 2018, plus one from Bromley!

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st preferences

not offered

2014

240

296

83

2015

224

261

63

2016

270

249

20

2017

270

289

50

2018

270

283

49

2019

240

347

Always heavily oversubscribed. Admission number will rise to 270 for 2019 entry.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

41

3

2015

12

1

2016

9

1

2017

37

1

2018

2

2

One of the most difficult schools in Kent at which to win an appeal.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Score

2014

n/a

n/a

78

2015

n/a

n/a

72

2016

0.51

56.7

Grade 5 or above

in Eng & Maths

2017

0.76 (WAA)

57.3

65%

0.55(WAA)

2018

0.97(WAA)

57.8

68%

0.18 (AA)

Highest performing non-selective school in Kent, at both Attainment and Progress, having topped the GCSE table for years.

============================================================

Borden Grammar School, Sittingbourne. Has just about filled over past two years Appeals organised by Independent Appeal Panel Administrator. OFSTED November 2016 - Good. Lower end of Attainment tables for Kent grammar schools.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st Prefs

not offered

Vacant

places

2014

120

84

0

34

2015

150

105

0

38

2016

120

99

0

15

2017

120

116

0

0

2018

120

102

0

2

2019

120

94

2014 - 2018 all first preferences offered

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

35

31

2015

51

33

2016

44

24

2017

40

4

2018

37

10

For 2018, no appellants were initially selective. As well as those whose appeals were upheld, five more boys were found to be of grammar school ability, but placed on a waiting list.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Score

2014

n/a

n/a

91

2015

n/a

n/a

94

2016

0.14

63.9

Grade 5 or above

in Eng & Maths

2017

0.01 (A)

60.6

75%

-0.49(BA)

2018

-0.03(A)

60.1

78%

-0.39(BA)

==================================================================

Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Hythe. OFSTED May 2016 - Good. Closure of Pent Valley School in Folkestone has led to increased pressure on places for 2016 to 2018 admission, although now loses brightest children to the Folkestone grammar schools, which admit through their own Test as well as the Kent Test. Turner Free School in Folkestone which did not recruit through the Kent Admissions process in its first year, 2018 will have affected preferences, which explains fall for 2019 when TFS is counted in. .

You will find an initial article on 2019 allocations here, an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2018 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2018 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

Canterbury Academy. Is in Federation with Canterbury Primary School, and several sporting centres providing excellent facilities. Children at Canterbury Primary (Previously Beauherne Primary) have priority for admission after Children in Care and 15% of places going to children with musical ability. The Federation of the two schools is an Academy. Sharp increase in GCSEs with rise to a sound 44.3 in Attainment 8 for 2016. Progress 8 within normal limits. OFSTED October 2017 - Good, The school has an massive Sixth Form, taking in students from a range of schools, including grammar schools, up to 160 for 2017 entry.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

Vacant

places

2014

230

253

48

0

2015

180

204

47

0

2016

210

258

76

-1

2017

210

214

33

0

2018

210

214

35

0

2019

2010

2015

. PAN increased to 210 for September 2016 admission. For 2017 entry, eventually admitted all who applied and persevered, without appeal.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

8

8

2015

0

0

2016

11

11

2017

No appeals

2018

No appeals

Although oversubscribed, the school expects to lose some students to grammar school appeals. As a result, if unsuccessful, it is worthwhile persisting with an application and appeal, as usually nearly all such efforts prove successful.

Charles Dickens School, Broadstairs. Dramatic fall to OFSTED Special MeasuresSeptember 2014, from Good in May 2011 - see article. In a Monitoring Inspection in December 2014, OFSTED found rapid improvement, casting doubt on the original finding, see article. February 2015, OFSTED found further Reasonable progress.In spite of this, the school was still heavily oversubscribed for September 2015, rejecting 44 first choices, showing a combination of continued faith by parents and the 'fear of the Marlowe Academy' effect. Headteacher retired with immediate effect October 2015, following further fall in 5 GCSEs A*-C to 30% in 2015. See article. OFSTED April 2016: Effective Action to remove SM. There were 5 monitoring visits by OFSTED and in March 2017 the school became an academy, sponsored by Barton Court Academy Trust.

Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School(The Federation of Ramsgate Grammar Schools - not to be confused with Chatham Grammar in Medway). The two Thanet grammar schools become a Federation in the light of falling rolls in Thanet in September 2009. The combined sixth form of some 500 students provides scope for new teaching options and specialisms. The Federation has now become a single academy with both single sex and co-educational lessons in the main school and a fully co-educational sixth form, Mrs Liddicoat having been promoted to become Chief Executive, after a previous disastrous appointment left suddenly. OFSTED September 2014: Good. Numbers well up in past two years to September 2017.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

Vacant

places

2014

180

103

67

2015

189

125

56

2016

180

145

26

2017

180

142

23

2018

180

168

0

2019

180

160

In 2018, all 168 grammar qualified first choices were offered places

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

99

62

2015

136

33

2016

113

47

2017

104

66

2018

82

54

For 2015 entry an amazing 136 appeals, partly brought about by parents trying to avoid local unpopular non-selective schools. Changed Appeal Panel provider to KCC for 2017 appeals, to increase numbers, as shown by increase.

Cornwallis Academy, Maidstone. Sponsored by the Future Schools Trust. This was formed from the Cornwallis School, previously a heavily oversubscribed successful secondary school in south Maidstone. The Academy was rebuilt at a cost of some £31 million. The Academy places great emphasis on technology. The Academy linked up with the failing Senacre and Oldborough Manor Schools and is now federated with their replacement the New Line Learning Academy (NLL), under one Governing Body. Details are here. OFSTED June 2013 - Good. Issued with Warning Notice November 2015 by DfE, along with NLL relating to poor standards. Both schools re-brokered to Every Child, Every Day Academy Trust.

Cranbrook School. Day and Boarding Grammar School, with entry at 13+ only until recently. A maximum of 98 places has been available for day students, a high proportion being taken up by pupils from local private schools who specialise in coaching for the school's own tests. The School Admission policy states that the selection tests are as follows: "Candidates take an objective test set by NFER and the school also sets supplementary papers in Mathematics and English. The objective NFER test is the primary test". There is no indication of how candidates are selected from the results of these tests. There have been a number of successful complaints over admission appeals. Outstanding for the second consecutive time: OFSTED April 2015. Latest Social Care inspection of the boarding provision was in February 2016 where it was found to be Outstanding. The school is changing its age of entry to 11 via a long drawn out process to meet local pressures, and offered 30 year 7 places for September 2017. Because of high demand, the school is now taking in 60 children at age 11 for 2018, accelerating the process.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS At YEAR 7

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

Vacant

places

2014

Admission at year 9 - information not

available

2015

2016

2017

30

52

24

0

2018

60

75

17

0

2019

60

74

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES (year 9)

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

6

1

2015

1

0

2016

0

0

Very few appeals for Year 9 entry up to 2016. This will change with the new form of entry at 11.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES (year 7)

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2017

10

0

2018

16

2

For 2018 appeals, one of the 6 children who had been found selective had their appeal upheld.

Initial article on 2019 allocations here. You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2018 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2018 GCSE scores go to here, A Level here. Individual School GCSEs here and A Level here.

Dane Court Grammar School.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

Offers

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

2014

165

165

165

3

2015

165

165

175

12

2016

165

164

162

0

2017

165

165

178

13

2018

165

175

180

7

2019

165

194

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

54

8

2015

76

16

2016

71

15

2017

70

19

2018

56

6

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Scores

2014

n/a

n/a

93%

2015

n/a

n/a

93%

2016

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

0.06

62

n/a

0.39(WAA)

2018

0.00(A)

63.0

84%

-0.96(WBA)

Second Highest Progress Score at A Level in Kent (highest grammar school), for 2017, but what a disaster fro 2018 (I have checked my figures for 2018).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dartford Grammar School

Regularly the most oversubscribed school in the county, with enormous pressure coming form London Boroughs. Takes the International Baccalaureate, and The Middle School Years Baccalaureate already, andso follows a broad academic curriculum. 6 successful appeals out of 70 for 2015 admission, five of whom had passed the Kent Test and so were out of Dartford boys, the sixth was a client of mine. For 2016 admission, the cut off for the 90 'out or area' boys was 375. There is a limit on the number of 'local' boys to 90 boys being accepted, which was reached this year. As a result, the local boys were chosen on score ranking with a cut off at 351, so that for the first time a number of grammar qualified boys living near to the school will not have been offered places.A complaint to the Schools Adjudicator when the new Admission Rules were set up, was turned down partly on the basis that few local boys would be disadvantaged on this basis.This is clearly untrue and the school can no longer be regarded as 'local', chasing high ability boys. For September 2016, 81 ooc students were offered places, for 2017 it was 80. For 2018 entry, the cut off score in the Kent Test for Dartford boys was 358 (pass aggregate was 320), for out of area boys it was 384 with not all boys on 383 getting in on second round.

Mushroom Sixth Form, the largest in county, and biggest increase over Year 11. At the 2017 census, Year 12 was 298 boys and girls, up from 156 in Year 11. No Ofsted since conversion to academy in 2012, as it is an Outstanding Academy. .

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

2014

150

282

146

2015

180

289

127

2016

180

355

226

2017

180

413

257

2018

180

460

313

2019

180

523

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

116

3

2015

64

6

2016

103

6

2017

116

3

2018

129

4

I don't see the number of appeals reducing, or the success rate increasing in the near future. .

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Scores

2014

98%

2015

100%

2016

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

0.78

73.8

n/a

-0.24(A)

2018

0.93(WAA)

73.3

97%

n/a (as IB)

But KS 5(A Level) Progress measured according to International Bacalaureate in 2017.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

The school approved new admission criteria for 2015 entry, expanding to 160 girls, but setting an initial limit of 100 for girls living in local parishes. After that places are awarded to highest scorers, wherever they reside. OFSTED June 2016- Outstanding.A complaint to the Schools Adjudicator when the new Admission Rules were set up, was turned down partly on the basis that few local girls would be disadvantaged on this basis.This is clearly untrue. For 2016 admission there was a cut off for inner area girls living in named parishes for the first time as the 100 girls offered places were required to score 333. The cut off for the remaining out of area girls, after children in care and siblings were offered, was 363, so that for the first time a number of grammar qualified girls living near to the school will not have been offered places. For 2018, inner was 341, ooc 385, falling to 383 on second round.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

Offers

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

2014

160

160

240

89

2015

160

160

239

95

2016

180

180

275

119

2017

180

180

345

188

2018

180

180

300

153

2019

180

379

Usually second most oversubscribed Kent school (to Dartford Grammar), under enormous pressure from London families.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

46

8

2015

57

7

2016

79

3

2017

93

0

2018

71

2

Yes, that is correct. No successful appeals for 2017.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Scores

2014

n/a

n/a

99%

2015

n/a

n/a

2016

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

0.66

69.7

n/a

0.04(A)

2018

0.74(WAA)

73.2

97%

-0.09(A)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dartford Science and Technology College.

The only single sex school in Dartford, after a boys' non-selective school closed many years ago. Ofsted Mar 2017 - again Good.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st

prefs not offered

Vacancies

2014

145

73

0

14

2015

145

85

0

0

2016

145

97

0

10

2017

150

150

0

0

2018

150

155

23

0

2019

145

169

There were no appeals: 2014-2017

Appeals for School Placs

Appeals

Upheld

2018

1

1

f

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress Scores

2014

n/a

n/a

2015

n/a

n/a

57%

2016

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

-0.27

39.1

n/a

-0.15(A)

2018

-0.02(A)

41.1

31%

-0.55(BA)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dover Christ Church Academy

Replaced Archer's Court Maths and Computing College and opened in September 2010. It is sponsored by Christ Church University, Canterbury, along with Kent County Council and the two Dover Grammar schools. Ofsted Nov 2016 - Requires Improvement, for third time. Monitoring Inspection Mar 18: 'effective action in order for the school to become good;.Suffers loss of more able pupils because of high proportion in area going to grammar schools through Dover Test. Nevertheless, GCSE performance not bad. New principal and assistant vice-principal were appointed in September 2017. Asked for my assistance in analysing admissions 2018 - given freely. No thanks, no acknowledgement. No feed back on my analysis. Not impressed.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st

prefs

not offered

Vacancies

2014

150

75

0

55

2015

150

99

0

28

2016

145

104

0

23

2017

160

167

37

0

2018

150

117

0

8

2019

150

118

There were no appeals 2014-2018

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Scores

2014

n/a

n/a

2015

n/a

n/a

41%

2016

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

-0.43

37.9

n/a

-0.31(A)

2018

-0.66(WBA)

30.3

11%

-0.60 (BA)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dover Grammar School for Boys. Admission is either by the Dover Test (for boys) or the Kent Test, children also being able to take both. The Dover test comprises VR, NVER, maths and English and pass is by an aggregate score. The Dover Test is not recognised by KCC as valid for entrance to any other grammar school and a pass has not generally been considered a valid case by Independent Appeal Panels for other grammar schools. As much as half of the intake is through the Dover Test. OFSTED Feb 2016- Good, up from Requires Improvement (the only Kent grammar school to be given RI).

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

(see notes)

PAN

Offers

Offered under Dover Test

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

2014

120

120

71

111

0

2015

120

120

81

39

39

2016

150

127

88

119

0

2017

150

138

105

145

0

2018

150

150

100

139

10

2019

150

134

Note 1: For 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 The Preference data refers to all boys who qualified for places.

GCSE outcomes low for a grammar school, unsurprising given nature of intake.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dover Grammar School for Girls.OFSTED Nov 2013:Outstanding - as in 2007.Admission is either by the Dover Test (for boys and girls) or the Kent Test, children also being able to take both. The Dover test comprises VR, NVER, maths and English and pass is by an aggregate score. The Dover Test is not recognised by KCC as valid for entrance to any other grammar school and a pass has not generally been considered a valid case by Independent Appeal Panels for other grammar schools. Very popular HT left summer 2017.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

(see notes)

PAN

Offers

Offered under Dover Test

1st

pref

1st prefs

not offered

2014

120

120

76

116

0

2015

130

130

81

44

43

2016

130

130

71

146

25

2017

140

144

88

142

7

2018

140

147

80

140

9

2019

140

156

Note 1: For 2014, The Preference data refers to all boys who qualified for places.

Note 2: For 2015, 87 of the offers were for Girls who qualified under the Dover Test. The preference data applies to girls who applied with Kent Test passes only. For 2017 entry, 88 of the 140 offers went to girls who passed the Dover Test only. For 2018, 80 of the 140 offers went to girls who passed the Dover Test only.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

46

8

2015

26

12

2016

24

14

2017

12

3

2018

21

10

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Scores

2014

n/a

n/a

2015

n/a

n/a

95%

2016

0.34

65.3

Grade 5 GCSE

Maths & Eng

2017

0.39

61.8

n/a

-0.14(BA)

2018

0.45(AA)

64.0

85%

-0.07 (A)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Duke of York's Academy, Dover. This once private school run by the MOD became a mainstream state funded part boarding academy with military traditions from September 2010, sponsored by the Secretary of State for Defence. Although it remains primarily focused on providing continuity of education for the children of those serving in the Armed Forces who live in the region,the current ratio of intake is 80% non-military 20% military, providing one of many important breaks with tradition. This priority is reflected in the oversubscription criteria, other children qualifying for access after all military preferences have been met, subject to a "Suitability for Boarding" assessment by the school which appears to offer no right of appeal if the child is turned down. In terms of cost alone, the boarding school offers excellent value for money:Boarding fees are £10,500 per year and education is paid for by the state. If parents qualify forContinuity of Education Allowance (Service families only), they could pay just £1,050 a year. One correspondent notes this equates to less than £40 per day for all boarding fees. The school has now concludeda£24 million building programme as a result of its change of status. The school is going through a period of dramatic change since it became an academy, and forced to change its admission rules. The biggest difference is that the school has become non-selective; a dramatic change from its previous role as a private grammar school. The non-military intake is changing the ethos and, along with the change to an all ability school has come a rise in the proportion of children with Special Education Needs to 30%. The school reports that (June 2012): "we are a state boarding school and can accept anyone from the European Economic Area who holds a British Passport or has the right to reside in the UK. Our children come to us from various different countries.

The school has been haunted by controversy and allegations for years, and is the subject of a current police investigation (April 2018), as reported here. There have been a number of OFSTED Reports trying to pin down the issues, most recently looking at overall effectiveness most recently in a Monitoring Report January 2017; and an unannounced Social Care Inspection at the same time.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

Offers

1st

prefs

1st Prefs not offered

Vacancies*

2014

58

23

23

12

12

2015

104

39

38

5

65

2016

104

36

44

10

68

2017

104

12

25

14

92

2018

104

21

27

10

83

2019

104

25

*The 100% Boarding arrangements for this school and its mainly military family intake mean both that some families can apply outside the normal arrangements (hence the discrepancy in figures) and also that some boarding applications are rejected as 'Unsuitable for Boarding', on grounds put forward by the school in a 'Suitability for Boarding Assessment'. Because of the nature of the primarily military intake (mainly NCOs and below), numbers rise significantly year on year. As an example, the 23 offers in March 2014, turned int 48 in October, and 98 in October 2017.

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2018 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2018 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

Ebbsfleet Academy.Controversially replaced Swan Valley Community School in November 2013, although it had been ceremonially opened three months earlier! You will find the history of this project set out in several articles on this website with links back from here. One of the major problems that these articles expose is that the school regularly made claims that were untrue. It made great play of the improvement on the predecessor school, but failed to point out, that this level, the second worst in the county in 2012 and 2013, was under the current leadership and a considerable fall on previous results under the former headteacher.

The school has been deeply unpopular with parents, in spite of the pressure on places in Dartford for at least the past four years. This could be partly due to Ebbsfleet being one of the few secondary schools in Kent with no Sixth Form. However, its strong disciplinary procedure as described in my article Tough Love Academies, which demonstrates the high proportion of pupils bailing out of the school from allocation through to Year 11. Many of these will not have chosen the school at all, but be part of the extraordinarily high number of LAAs given places each year they may have set out to avoid.

Each year, I receive more enquiries from parents seeking to avoid Ebbsfleet Academy than any other school in Kent.

May 2017: the school has launched a no-marking pilot scheme, as explained here, primarily to reduce teachers' workload. Surely, pupil progress should come first.

Sponsored by the Brook Learning Trust which has had its own difficulties as seen through the link. OFSTED September 2016 - Good.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

Local

Authority

Allocations

Vacant

places

2014

150

72

0

34

10

2015

150

47

0

52

13

2016

150

97

0

26

-8

2017

150

69

0

13

67

2018

150

69

0

67

3

2019

150

92

For September 2017 admissions, the school was hit by the extension of the Leigh Academy UTC to accepting pupils from the age of 11; the extra places created contributing to the fall in LAAs. .

Folkestone Academy. Was set up by the Roger de Haan Academy Trust in 2007, to replace the struggling Channel School in new premises designed by the Norman Foster Architects at a cost of £34 million, and is co-sponsored by Kings School Canterbury. It combined with a local primary school in 2013, to provide for pupils from 3 -18 years, now one of four such schools in the county. Benefited from competing with the other non-selective school in town, Pent Valley Secondary which closed in July 2016 following poor leadership and unpopularity with families, but many aspiring families choose to look first at Brockhill School in Hythe. Suffers academically from high level of grammar school selection through the Shepway Test (see Folkestone School for Girls below), which picks up to another 200 of the highest performing non-selective (by Kent Test) children nationally. The then headteacher was removed following a personal scandal and the school came under some parental criticism following changes in policy designed to improve academic standards. OFSTED October 2015 - Good. The school was then taken over by the controversial Turner Schools Trust at Easter 2017, and formally re-brokered to them in December 2017. Turner Schools, is a new Academy Trust, having also taken over two primary schools and the replacement for Pent Valley, the Turner Free School, which opened in September 2018. Full details on events at Folkestone Academy here, including two more changes of headteacher to an interim until this summer, a major reorganisation and proposals to cut 25% of the staff. Sharp fall in GCSE performance as reported here, with further article here. New senior staff drafted in at short in September 2018 to shore up the school.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

Vacant

places

2014

270

230

0

0

2015

279

243

0

0

2016

300

222

0

-2

2017

310

243

0

5

2018

270

216

18

0

2019

270

153

The new sponsors,Turner Schools, reduced the PAN for 2018, with the new Turner Free School admitting 120 pupils. The number of first choices that year was inflated as TFS applicants did not appear in official KCC figures. The reality of the sharp fall is shown in the 2019 data

2014 - 2018 no appeals for school admission.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

33

2015

n/a

n/a

41

2016

-0.44

39.6

% Level 5

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.22 (BA)

36.4

14%

-0.32(BA)

2018

-0.78 (WBA)

31.0

13%

The loss of the highest performing non-selective children who will have been creamed off by the Shepway Test five years ago will hit academic performance further in 2019 (see Folkestone School for Girls immediately below).

Folkestone School for Girls OFSTED October 2012 - Outstanding. Introduced the Shepway Test for 2014 admission in conjunction with The Harvey Grammar School, an alternative way of gaining admission to the Kent Test.

Has one of the lowest Kent grammar school staying on rates from Year 11 to the Sixth Form. In September 2018 this was 77%. The school also had one of the lowest Kent grammar Sixth Form staying on rates from Year 12 to Year 13 in September 2016, at 85%. Since my exposure of the illegal exclusion rate in Year 12, the loss rate fell sharply, along with the other culprits, in the case of FSG to 2% in 2018.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

Shepway

Test

Offers

Vacant

places

2014

180

137

0

68

34

2015

180

62

3

118

0

2016

180

181

4

94

0

2017

180

183

7

92

0

2018

180

181

2

70

0

2019

180

191

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

58

44

2015

46

29

2016

28

14

2017

29

8

2018

35

9

The school operates its own Independent Appeal Panel. Appeals are heard over an extended period, results often being given some time later. For 2018 appeals, both candidates who had been found selective by Kent or Shepway Test were offered places.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

99

2015

n/a

n/a

100

2016

0.51

67.3

% Level 5

Eng & Maths

2017

0.66 (WAA)

65.5

76.6%

-0.08(A)

2018

0.44(AA)

63.8

77%

This level of performance may be hit in 2019 when the first Shepway Test children reach GCSE.

Fulston Manor School, Sittingbourne. Always heavily oversubscribed. Became an Academy in October 2011. As an Academy Trust has taken over the two South Avenue primary schools. OFSTED February 2014 - Good(down one). Now lead school in the Fulston Manor Academies Trust, with two primary schools.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

2014

210

294

103

2015

210

305

113

2016

210

282

97

2017

210

291

102

2018

210

352

157

2019

210

342

Fourth most oversubscribed non-selective school in Kent for 2017, third in 2018.

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2017 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2017 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

Goodwin Academy. Now an academy sponsored by Thinking Schools Academy Trust, operating in new £25 million premises and delivering successfully.

OFSTED Outstanding school, June 2011. Became a 'new' Academy, on 1st October 2010. For 2013 entry, it then absorbed the failing Walmer Science College, and was awarded major government funding for a rebuild on its own site. The disgraced Lilac Sky Schools Academy Trust was brought in to support the school, but only managed to drag it downhill. Achieved worst GCSE resultsin the county summer 2013. Dramatic fall from grace in March 2014, OFSTED placing the School in Special Measures, down from Outstanding. Some excerpts from Report placing major blame on leadership and management, the HT leaving soon afterwards, but appointed to a senior role with Lilac Sky. Article here. Three questions then, but still valid: (1) where have all the children gone to, this was the amalgamation of two schools that in 2013 had 163 children offered places at this time, now down to 88 (2015). Where have they all gone? (2) Can the school financially survive? (3) The perpetual question, who is to be held accountable for this disaster? Apart from the head who was removed, as an academy is its own master the governors bore a heavy responsibility but will never have to pay for their incompetence. Following the disgrace, taken over byThe SchoolsCompany Trust who became sponsors in 2016, in spite of poor performance. This turned out to be a disaster with SchoolsCompany financial dealings taking them into ruin, as explained here. Further financial details here. The Trust has now been disbanded, with its funds and the £700,000 stabilisation part of the £3 million deficit being written off. Goodwin Academy has been taken over by TSAT, a large, aggressive and controversial Trust, but which generally runs its schools successfully. It has kept the headteacher who turned the school round over the past three years and which is now becoming a popular choice.

You will find little about the history of SchoolsCompany and especially its owner on the internet, as it appears to have vanished, my previous articles being the main record. Also, unusually I can find no trace of past OFSTED Reports, including the February 2016 Full Report, anywhere.

Gravesend Grammar School. OFSTED June 2015 - Outstanding, up from Good in 2012.For 2016, having offered 43 of its 174 places to out of county applicants as a result of the increase in numbers, there were no places offered on appeal. 28 of the 63 non-selective were found to be selective and placed on a waiting list. However, after the appeals had been heard, 13 boys were subsequently offered places with the year group increasing in size to 180. A similar picture emerged for 2017, and as a result the school cut its intake back to 150 in 2018, with few out of county places being offered, probably mainly to siblings. Simultaneously 42 extra Gravesham boys passed the Kent Test for 2018 entry, producing additional pressure on places.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st preferences

1st prefs not offered

Vacant places

Out of County Offers

2014

150

126

4

0

4

2015

174

130

0

15

20

2016

174

115

2

0

43

2017

174

118

1

0

45

2018

150

181

2

0

8

2017 saw just 118 first preferences, although the school filled with lower order choices, including out of county boys, offering places to 43. 14 of these live in Thurrock, presumably planning to cross the Thames on the passenger ferry. The school is clearly unhappy with the out of county situation and is reducing its intake to 150 for 2018 entry. For September 2017, all but one grammar qualified boys placing the school in first place were offered places.

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2017 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2017 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

Unusually, all four non-selective schools in Tonbridge and Hadlow have initial letter in name as 'H', making comparisons simple.

Hadlow Rural Community School.OFSTED Jun 2015 - Good 'Hadlow Rural Community School is an academy free school which opened to students in September 2013. It was set up by Hadlow College and is located within the college grounds. There is a strong association with the college, which provides many support services. The school is much smaller than average. The construction of a new school building, which is scheduled to open in 2016, has started. All students follow a land-based curriculum at Hadlow College one day a week'. Proving a very popular alternative to the two under-performing boys' schools in Tonbridge

Hartsdown Academy, Margate. Long serving Headteacher retired summer 2015, replaced by Head of Trinity Free School in Sevenoaks. OFSTED March 2018 - Requires Improvement, blaming previous administration for serious issues. I have described Hartsdown as one of Kent's three Tough Love Academies, as the new headteacher takes a high profile approach to discipline. I have explored the school more recently following the Ofsted Inspection, as it promotes its new image as a school: 'Margate has become a bridge head for eastern European immigration and Hartsdown has specialised in integrating unaccompanied asylum seeking minors'. This may be a deliberate consequence of its having the second lowest proportion of first preferences for admission at any school in the county, and the highest number of children abandoning the school for Elective Home Education.

The Harvey Grammar School. Academy. Harvey introduced the Shepway Test along with Folkestone School for Girls as an alternative way to the Kent Test of gaining admission for September 2014, has proved very popular with nearly half of all entrants qualifying by the Shepway Test. OFSTED March 2016, Outstanding, up from Good. Popularity increasing as it attracts boys from towards and including Ashford.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

Offers

Offered

Under

Shepway

Test

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

Vacancies

2014

150

150

91

141

0

0

2015

150

150

70

78

1

0

2016

150

150

72

165

19

0

2017

150

173

61

146

27

0

2018

150

150

68

152

6

0

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

30

5

2015

23

5

2016

41

5

2017

36

32

2018

42

4

The school operates its own Independent Appeals Panel which appears to operate very professionally.

In 2017, the school decided it could add an additional form of entry, hence the one off sharp increase in successful appeals.

Hayesbrook School Became an Academy in 2010. OFSTED Jan 2017 Good again. Sharp fall in popularity for 2015 and 2016 entry, in spite of its high GCSE performances at that time, fourth best in Kent. Academically slipped since then. Member of the Brook Learning Trust, about whom I wrote a critical article in 2017. Issues include for 2017: Fourth highest vacancy rate in Year Seven; second lowest percentage of first choices (and for 2019); fourth highest proportion of LAAs (third highest in 2018); tenth highest drop out rate Year 7 to 11. All variables even lower for 2018 including academic performance.

Herne Bay High School Was completely rebuilt under BSF. Is now an academy. Increased intake by 7 to 265 for 2014 entry. Not sure of the logic for this small number. OFSTED Mar 2014 - Good again. Back to normal popularity for 2014, with 36 first choices turned away, up to 42 in 2015 and even higher to 48 for 2016 intake. GCSE 5 A-C pass rate at 43%, above floor level for past three years. sharp fall to 37% for 2015. 3 out of 17 appeals upheld for 2016.

Highsted Grammar School Sittingbourne. Outstanding School according to OFSTED. Academy. Introduced the Highsted Test in 2016 for 2017 entrance as an alternative and equivalent requirement to a Kent Test pass. No parallel test at Borden Grammar the boys' equivalent, so there will be a discrepancy in ability range across the two schools. A net loss of 20% of cohort from Year 11-12 in 2017 and 2018 is one of the highest for a Kent grammar school. Like some other girls' grammars, some will have been tempted across to the boys' equivalent, Borden.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

Offers

Offered

Under Highsted Test

1st prefs

1st prefs

not offered

Vacancies

2014

120

103

0

102

0

17

2015

120

104

0

102

0

16

2016

120

111

0

110

0

9

2017

120

120

26

121

1

0

2018

120

142

38

127

0

8

2019

120

131

In 2017 just filled to 120 girls even with the 26 Highsted Test passes (but see appeals below), but for 2018 put on an extra form of entry.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

26

20

2015

32

18

2016

27

18

2017

52

33

2018

18

13

Independent Appeals Panel Administrator (non-KCC).

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% Level 5

Eng & Maths

A Level

Progress

2018

0.5(WAA)

66.9

97%

-0.13(BA)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Highworth Grammar School. Admissions have seen a seesaw effect, from some years before 2014. OFSTED 2013 - Outstanding (again). Became an Academy .Tends to nearly fill and increases Admission number to fit, with historically room for a number of successful appeals, for girls who have not passed the Kent Test. Ashford is going through a rapid housing expansion, so demand will only increase.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

Vacancies

2014

184

173

0

8

2015

192

195

9

0

2016

184

170

0

4

2017

192

146

0

31

2018

210

200

0

2

2019

184

181

Official PAN has been 184, but has taken in extra girls when demand was highest, rising to its peak this year.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

36

9

2015

59

22

2016

46

21

2017

53

36

2018

56

23

KCC Appeal Panel.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

%Level 5

Eng & Maths

A Level

Progress

2017

0.74 (WAA)

46.4

89%

2018

0.98(WAA)

71.1

95%

-0.05(A)

2017 GCSE performance strong in grammar school terms, improved further for 2018.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

High Weald Academy, previously The Angley School, Cranbrook. e last of Kent's 'Thameside High Schools'. Was technically comprehensive for years 7 & 8 with transfer of the ablest pupils to Cranbrook School at 13+. Cranbrook now recruiting 60 day pupils at age 11 so this concept is dead. OFSTED Jul 16 - Requires Improvement again. Back in 2013 I asked, is it still viable? No sign of improvement since, although a regular turn over of headteacher as sponsors The Brook Learning Trust sought to solve the problems. The school will have been further hit by the opening of Hadlow Rural Community College, some Cranbrook children travelling to Tenterden to avoid it. My critical article about the Brook Learning Trust identifies major problems with allocation, fall out, LAAs and academic performance. School i being completely rebuilt which should improve matters.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1stpreferences

LAAs

Vacancies

2014

180

57

11

103

2015

180

56

17

97

2016

150

64

7

75

2017

150

66

20

57

2018

150

40

32

64

2019

150

51

No appeals

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

31%

2015

n/a

n/a

57%

2016

n/a

n/a

%Level 5

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.38 (BA)

35.9

22%

2018

-0.61(WBA)

33.5

14%

-0.92(WBA)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hillview School for Girls Regularly oversubscribed. 47 first choices oversubscribed for 2011, 59 for 2012, 45 for 2013. All appeals successful in some but not all years, including 2013. OFSTED Mar 18 - Good Again. Consistently amongst the highest performing non-selective schools in Kent.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st Prefs not offered

Vacancies

2014

208

195

30

0

2015

208

161

10

0

2016

208

167

0

0

2017

208

175

3

0

2018

240

205

13

0

2019

208

223

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

0

0

2015

0

0

2016

0

0

2017

1

0

2018

0

0

Although school fills on allocation, it will lose girls to grammar school appeals. In most years the school starts off with waiting lists and appeals, but these are manageable enough to be usually resolved by offers and wastage before appeals heard.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

62%

2015

n/a

n/a

61%

2016

n/a

n/a

% Level 5

Eng & Maths

2017

0.11 (A)

44.6

43%

2018

0.44(AA)

47.6

33%

-0.03(A)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Holmesdale SchoolSnodland. OFSTED Feb 2018, Special Measures down from Good in 2014. A disaster area. Numbers include a large number from Medway, 23 in 2018 on allocation, although understandably down from the 80 or so in previous years. Completely rebuilt under PFI scheme 2008, so has been unable to apply to become an academy for financial reasons. I wrote in 2016: 'Popularity is declining sharply and there were plenty of spaces for 2013 entry for this previously oversubscribed school, rising to 49 for 2014 and 55 for 2015, even before appeals elsewhere. Question: Why, with two consecutive good OFSTED's and new local housing developments, is its popularity plummeting? I have asked this question ever since the OFSTED, without a convincing answer'. My March 2018 article supplies many of the answers, the current Year 11 cohort having lost over a third of its Year 11 cohort since joining the school in Year 7, way ahead of any other Kent school showing massive parental dissatisfaction with amongst other matters rapidly falling GCSE performances.An Ofsted Monitoring Inspection in July 2018 found that 'leaders and managers are not taking effective action towards the removal of special measures'. A subsequentarticle, December 2018 brings the sorry story up to date with the headteacher walking away from the disaster.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

LAAs

Vacancies

2014

180

117

4

49

2015

180

109

8

55

2016

180

123

1

46

2017

180

67

18

75

2018

180

75

22

52

2019

180

62

No Appeals 2014-2017

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

46%

2015

n/a

n/a

30%

2016

n/a

n/a

% Level 5

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.7 (WBA)

36.8

21%

2018

-0.86(WBA)

34.3

16%

-0.17(A)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Homewood School, Tenterden. Academy. Largest school in Kent., Now lead school in the Tenterden Schools Trust, incorporating Homewood and its three local primary school. All a strong arrangement, provided you don't fall out with the Trust. Admits 20% of its children by ability, no matter where they live, but currently irrelevant as the school's expansion means all can be accommodated. The headteacher is Sally Lees, previously Head of Dover Grammar Boys which was an interesting appointment, given Homewood's implacable opposition to grammar schools over the past decade or more, but perhaps indicative of its academic aspirations. She has resurrected the schools previous excellent reputation and popularity. OFSTED 2017 - Good again. However, GCSE Progress poor over the past three years, and so the school has been classified as Coasting.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

LAAs

Vacancies

2014

390

347

7

0

0

2015

390

317

0

1

0

2016

390

331

6

0

0

2017

410

296

0

5

47

2018

420

324

0

7

33

2019

390

345

When there was oversubscription, well worth waiting list and going for appeal - all applicants who persevered have been catered for.

No appeals heard 2014-17

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

A Level

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

46%

2015

n/a

n/a

50%

2016

n/a

n/a

% Level 5

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.49 (BA)

37.3

24%

2018

-0.4 (BA)

37.5

23%

0.07(A)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hugh Christie School, Tonbridge. Rebuilt under PFI. OFSTED Dec 2017 - Good again. Popularity has picked up as Hayesbrook (above) has declined. Disappointing Progress over past three years has seen the school classified as Coasting. A reminder of the inadequacies of using such data is provided by the school: 'For other schools in Kent with between 30% and 40% disadvantaged pupils, our progress 8 is above average. Our Attainment 8, EBACC and Grade 4 English and Maths are amongst the best. We do not off-roll students and do retain a significant number of outliers who are being educated elsewhere for various reasons. The ASD unit also has an impact, with children being placed there in Years 10 and 11 with little chance of making significant gains in their progress'.

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2017 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2017 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

Inspiration Academy at Leigh UTC. This was a new school which opened in September 2017, for details follow the link. It is likely to grow into a very popular school, absorbing the UTC on its way. In contrast to the UTC it has already proved very popular in its new premises helped, along with all other Dartford NS schools by the extreme unpopularity of Ebbsfleet Academy.

Aggressively academically successful. In competition with Maidstone Girls Grammar, it works hard to absorb as many academically able girls in Maidstone district as possible, including through the Appeals process. At Open Evenings the school still falsely and unlawfully claims that girls need to put it first on their preference list to be offered a place. Has one of the highest drop out rates in the county after GCSE and became part of a national scandal after illegally expelling girls at the end of Year 12 on grounds their A Levels were not on course for high enough grades. See articles here and elsewhere. Has never acknowledged blighting the futures of the 22 girls illegally thrown out in 2016.

Very proud of its excellent GCSE and A Level performance.

Understandably very popular with families of high achieving and conformist girls.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

Vacancies

Year 7 Census

Oct

2015

192

200

11

0

241

2016

210

198

6

0

244

2017

192

181

2

0

237

2018

240

210

0

25

2019

192

212

The leap in numbers from allocation to enrolment in September is caused by the high number of successful appeals.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

49

40

2015

89

63

2016

65

39

2017

65

58

2018

64

49

All of the high number and very high proportion of successful appeals will be for girls who have not passed the Kent Test. I have argued that the 89% success rate in 2017, the highest in Kent is bringing the appeal system into disrepute, although understandably the families of those girls whose appeal are upheld and go onto success at GCSE would disagree.

John Wallis Academy Ashford. The new Academy opened in September 2010 moving into a new £8.6 million premises in September 2014. It is now an all age academy, from 3-19. The sponsors are: The Diocese of Canterbury, Benenden School, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent County Council. The headteacher is John MacParland, previously head of the successful St Simon Stock RC School in Maidstone. KCC described the proposal for the all aged Academy as "a systemic response to the historic repeated failing of education provision in south Ashford was planned ". OFSTED January 2014: Good. At that time I wrote an interesting article entitled: 'Is this the best performing school in Kent: John Wallis CofE Academy, Ashford?'Ofsted October 2018. Good again (Short Insp). Initially found it difficult to attract students due to poor reputation of predecessor schools. However, popularity has steadily climbed ever since and it is now the non-selective school of choice in Ashford.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not offered

Vacancies

2015

210

183

0

0

2016

210

192

4

0

2017

210

178

0

0

2018

210

205

11

0

2019

210

232

No appeals heard 2014-2018

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

2015

n/a

n/a

2016

n/a

2017

0.08 (A)

39.8

Grade 5 or Above

Eng & Maths

-0.25(BA)

2018

20.17(A)(P)

39.6

23%

The Judd School The most selective school in Kent selecting on the aggregate score in the Kent tests. Since 2016 entry, its oversubscription criteria cover two different areas, with 135 highest scoring boys being admitted from an Inner area, and 20 from elsewhere. Placing Judd in the search engine for this website will produce numerous articles relating to admissions and appeals. The school has now increased its intake to 180 following a capital buildings grant from KCC to ease pressure on West Kent grammar school places. This will have been in return for the school agreeing to the priority for local boys.

The cut off aggregate score for 2016 was 362 for the Inner Area and 391 for the Outer, although not all boys on those scores were offered places, losing out on distance grounds. In 2017, it was 364 Inner and 400 outer; in 2018, again 364 Inner but 391 Outer. With just 20 places for Outer which, I suspect are mainly out of Kent, it is unsurprising that the cut-off has risen so high.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

2015

155

213

79

2016

155

232

97

2017

180

262

102

2018

180

300

125

2018

180

331

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

18

5

2015

17

6

2016

39

2

2017

26

9

2018

39

10

For 2017 appeals all nine successes were from the 24 who had passed the Kent Test

For 2018 Appeals 9 of the 34 assessed selective were offered a place.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

2015

n/a

n/a

2016

n/a

2017

0.52(WAA)

76.6

Grade 5 or Above

Eng & Maths

-0.04

2018

0.65(WAA)(P)

75.7

98%

At A level, the Judd was comfortably top of the Achievement Grades, although progress from GCSE was average at -0.04, the discrepancy underlining the high levels achieved by pupils entering the Sixth Form.

King Ethelbert School Academy, Birchington. Is an Academy in the Coastal Academies Trust led by Dane Court Grammar. New buildings completed under BSF. Has had a roller coaster ride with regard to OFSTED: 2009 - Outstanding; 2013 - Requires Improvement; 2014 - Good; Oct 2018 - Good. Heavily oversubscribed each year, fourth most oversubscribed non-selective school in Kent 2018. Rightly popular but pressure also comes from families trying to avoid two other schools in Thanet.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

2015

160

231

80

2016

160

151

72

2017

160

278

128

2018

150

284

139

2019

150

267

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

13

4

2015

28

0

2016

12

1

2017

40

4

2018

29

11

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

2015

n/a

n/a

2016

n/a

2017

-0.36 (BA)

38.5

Grade 5 or Above

Eng & Maths

-0.09(A)

02018

0-0.43(BA)

38.0

22%

Knole Academy, Sevenoaks, opened in September 2010 combining the old Bradbourne and Wildernesse Schools. Instead of a complete new build as was originally planned, "The final decision made, having considered all the complexities, is to build a large extension on the space where the back car park is at Knole West (formerly The Bradbourne School) with the school's own sports hall, bigger and more acoustically friendly performance hall, and many other exciting learning spaces, which we hope will also benefit the community of Sevenoaks. The advantage to this scheme means that we can retain the ex Bradbourne buildings, which are in good condition and have excellent facilities, including the £2 million extension opened in 2004 and paid for by Kent County Council. Although a slightly smaller site than the ex Wildernesse site, the main advantages are that the existing buildings are in a good state of repair, the highway access is good and we will continue to make use of the extension which cost £2 million in 2004.Sponsors include KCC and Sevenoaks private school. Early publicity for the proposed Academy suggested it is also expected to cater for children of grammar school ability, who currently have no selective school in Sevenoaks, and the school has since made much of ever this. The Principal is Mrs Mary Boyle, previously head of The Bradbourne School for Girls, recently featured in the media and this website as the highest paid head in the County. Entering Knole in the search engine for this website will produce several articles on education provision in Sevenoaks. OFSTED November 2015: Requires Improvement a shock to the school community, down from Good in 2012, but back to Good in 2017.

Trinity Free School, also in Sevenoaks, opened in 2013, and has provided strong competition ever since.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

Pupils in Year 7 according to Census

2015

240

238

62

273

2016

255

265

67

252

2017

240

210

33

219

2018

241

181

25

02019

240

238

Recent sharp fall in popularity, probably both from successful grammar school appeals and the recovery of Orchards Academy in Swanley.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

0

0

2015

2

0

2016

12

10

2017

0

0

2018

0

0

In most years at Knole, perseverance on the waiting list and submitting an appeal appears to be generally successful, appeal requests being resolved before being heard.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

2015

n/a

n/a

2016

n/a

2017

-0.2 (BA)

41.3

Grade 5 or Above

Eng & Maths

-0.09(A)

02018

0-0.43(BA)

38.0

22%

Leigh Academy, Dartford. Lead school in the large and assertive Leigh Academies Trust, which most recently at the time of writing (August 2018) is 'exploring' a takeover of the Williamson Trust. Back in 2013 was the most oversubscribed school in Kent but, as the data below shows, this has dwindled to nothing, the main cause probably being the opening of the Trust's own new school,, the Inspiration Academy at Leigh UTC, above. Most recent news item, here.

When oversubscribed, siblings take priority, then the school admits pupils across the ability range only from its catchment area, split into inner and outer areas, in the proportions 70/30. All applicants are tested for ability, then divided into five ability bands. Pupils are selected randomly from each band in the required proportions. Vacancies are made up from the waiting list.

There are few successful appeals, for it is very difficult to make a case against random selection. Appeals are organised by a commercial company, that appears to be very supportive of the school. The lack of appeals for 2018 reflects the sharp drop in first choices, with the opening of Inspiration Academy.

The Lenham School: Previously the failed Swadelands School, now an academy sponsored by Valley Invicta Academy Trust since April 2018

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

Vacancies

2015

150

74

26

2016

150

52

74

2017

150

72

45

2018

150

90

15

2019

150

136

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

Grade 5 or Above

Eng & Maths

KS5 Progress

Score

2017

n/a

n/a

n/a

0.21(A)

2018

-0.17(A)(P)

36.4

24%

Longfield AcademyOFSTED April 2018. Good again. Premises are a complete new build at an original cost of some £25 million. This completely replaced the previous 1960s buildings which were in an appalling condition. As I wrote some years ago: "Indeed it is apparent that the main reason for forming an Academy here is to secure new premises – the school is rural, not failing and in a good socio economic area – meeting none of the normal conditions for an old style Academy".

Popularity has declined in recent years as nearby Meopham School, once a school to avoid, has become very successful and popular.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

2015

180

174

34

2016

180

151

15

2017

180

173

25

2018

192

144

5

2019

180

159

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

30

29

2015

21

21

2016

3

3

2017

0

0

2018

0

0

Uses a commercial company for appeals that appears to deliver the schools needs.

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2018 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2018 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

Maidstone Grammar School.OFSTED January 2019: Good, down from Outstanding. Outstanding schools are not currently being inspected unless there are concerns. MGS Is a Foundation school so one of a small minority of secondary schools still under the aegis of Kent County Council.Has been significantly oversubscribed until 2017, when a major new building investment allowed the school to open a permanent additional form of entry, thus creating a surplus of selective boys’ places across Maidstone,

Its oversubscription criteria include residence in a named parish, with priority from 2019 entry to high scoring boys being clarified to read an aggregate Kent Test score of 360; then other local boys who are grammar qualified. As parents know Kent test scores before applications are made, it is clearly important that those scoring less than 360 should include Oakwood Park Grammar on their list, as some families living apparently close to the school can lose out.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

2014

175

221

52

2015

175

215

42

2016

175

208

38

2017

205

193

0

2018

205

208

11

2019

205

213

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

37

8

2015

51

12

2016

53

15

2017

21

11

2018

30

10

Pre- 2017, the large majority of successful appeals went to boys who were already grammar qualified.

Uses a KCC Appeal Panel

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

98

2015

n/a

n/a

96

2016

0.16

65.7

GCSE Grade 5

Eng & Maths

2017

0.16

64

n/a

-0.46(BA)

2018

-0.12(A)

62.2

88%

0.00(A)

For a school prioritising high scorers, the older GCSE scores reflected a weakness in English teaching; the newer Progress 8 scores were not flattering in 2017, coming in the bottom third of grammar schools in the list, although higher (15/32 in the Attainment 8 Table). However, for 2018 they declined further, in both tables (to 29/32 in Progress 8, 26/32 for Attainment 8)), which must be very worrying for such a prestige school. At A Level Progress, second lowest grammar school performer in 2017, but improved to Average for 2018.

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls. Is a Foundation school so another of the small minority of secondary schools still under the aegis of Kent County Council. Regularly undersubscribed, struggling to compete with Invicta Grammar, although the two have see-sawed in popularity in previous years. Its Outstanding OFSTED dates back as far as 2009, way beyond the normal span. It may be because of its good academic performance, although it has a reputation for putting girls under pressure, with a high fall out rate at the end of Year 11. An article I wrote last year highlighted its illegal and private selection system to try and recruit the highest performers to the Sixth Form, which was condemned by the Ombudsman, after the school was caught out lying about it.

Popularity has plummeted in recent years, in spite of three changes of headteacher, most recently in 2015. Very high rate of successful admission appeals up to and including 2017, probably to cover up for this. For 2019 allocation, the lowest number of first choices for many years. Something needs to change!

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

Vacancies

2014

180

137

37

2015

180

136

14

2016

180

146

34

2017

180

116

42

2018

180

134

31

2019

180

108

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

29

22

2015

65

46

2016

75

55

2017

76

53

2018

91

45

Consistently one of the highest proportion of successful grammar school appeals in the county, as it tries to build up its numbers; 70% in 2017.

The Malling School, Foundation School.OFSTED May 2015 Good for the second time. Has had a chequered history in the past but is now on the up, one of the most oversubscribed schools in Maidstone and district. Has the largest and most sought after SEN Unit in the County, the Tydeman Centre which is in great demand, taking in children with Speech and Language difficulties and ASD. Whilst this has a negative effect on academic performance it appears good for the school as a whole.

Was linked with Holmesdale School which provided Malling with support, but roles are reversed and the Federation was dissolved as Malling has flourished and Holmesdale plunged into Special Measures and beyond.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st

prefs

not offered

Vacancies

2014

180

83

0

60

2015

180

86

0

49

2016

180

137

0

12

2017

180

159

15

0

2018

180

214

57

0

2019

180

169

The school’s strong progress can be tracked by its increasing popularity year on year and it is currently heavily oversubscribed for 2018 .

Appeals for School Places

Appeals

Upheld

2018

9

9

The first for many years

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

29

2015

n/a

n/a

30

2016

-0.03

44.8

GCSE Grade 5

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.3

36

n/a

Insufficient

Numbers

2018

-0.81(WBA)

32.2

17%

Still working through the lower ability intake when the school was very unpopular. However, it needs to see improvement for 2019.

Some SEN Unit children tend to underperform academically, but are counted in with the whole school for performance purposes, so attainment levels in particular will be dampened.

Maplesden Noakes School Maidstone. OFSTED September 2013 - Good; December 18 - Good again. Increasingly heavily oversubscribed as popularity of schools in Maidstone polarises and population is rapidly increasing. Normally sound academic performance.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

2014

180

151

8

2015

180

124

33

2016

180

106

10

2017

180

187

77

2018

180

227

80

2019

180

225

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

0

0

2015

8

8

2016

0

0

2017

34

13

2018

37

4

Number and success rate of appeals clearly varies according to popularity that year.

Uses a KCC Appeal Panel

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

41

2015

n/a

n/a

46

2016

0.08

49.6

GCSE Grade 5

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.12

43.1

n/a

0.07(A)

2018

-0.07(A)

40.6

21%

-0.36(BA)

The Marsh Academy, New Romney. OFSTED February 2017: Good again. Struggled for some years under previous sponsors Tonbridge School, who clearly did not understand the issues of a very rural state school, the assumption being that rich independent schools catering for highly able and wealthy pupils have skills which transfer to the management of state schools. Tonbridge School has now withdrawn after discovering, as have other private schools at other academies, that it is somewhat of a challenge. Although it is still advertised on the school website, it has been replaced by The Skinners Company which has recently transformed the now highly successful Skinners Kent Academy. Loses a lot of able Marsh children to the Folkestone grammar schools, which select an additional high proportion of pupils through the Shepway Test. Popularity has picked up sharply since the closure of Pent Valley School in Folkestone causing pressure all round the Shepway District, especially at Brockhill in Park, previously a popular destination for Marsh children.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs

not

offered

Vacancies

2015

180

125

0

30

2016

180

129

0

24

2017

180

178

20

0

2018

180

171

12

0

2019

180

151

Dip in first choices for 2019 will be due to opening of new Turner Free School in Folkestone

No appeals heard 2014-18

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

42

2015

n/a

n/a

35

2016

0.04

44.1

GCSE Grade 5

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.15

38

n/a

-0.47(BA)

2018

-0.65(WBA)

33.2

11%

Mascalls School Paddock Wood. OFSTED Nov 16: - Good. Regularly oversubscribed, but considerable churning, so all applications pursued have been successful in recent years with no appeals needed. Significant rise in first choices 2019.

Now starting to pick up an increase from London applicants. Mayfield introduced its own admission test for September 2015 entry to serve as an alternative to the Kent Test. Girls can be considered via either process and I can see little disadvantage in taking both tests. The only possible downside is that both results will be quoted if there is an appeal although, as there is no way of knowing at the time of testing whether either or which test will reflect poorly, this should not discourage parents from entering girls for both assessments. The Mayfield Test uses a complex process with a computer assessed component and a written English Test. Understanding the pass score is even more complex. For 2016 admission girls were required to achieve EITHER 100.15 in the computer test and a score of 10 in the English, OR 97.07 in the computer test and 15 in the English. I am afraid I don't have any idea of the standard being sought.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs not offered

Vacancies

Mayfield

Test

Offers

2015

145

139

11

0

2016

145

139

1

0

12

2017

170

170

22

0

17

2018

180

183

11

0

21

2019

180

167

The school attracts a considerable number of lower preference choices, including many from from London and Essex, which are mainly rejected on distance grounds.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

No Record

2015

25

43

2016

40

26

2017

37

13

2018

42

13

The school uses its own appointed Independent Appeal Panel.

For 2018 Admission, just one of the 14 girls assessed selective before appeals had appeal upheld, suggesting priority given to local girls.

After a number of disastrous years, unpopular and failing academically, Meopham was taken over by Swale Academies Trust in 2012, and, under good leadership has never looked back, although the subject of several strange decisions. In 2016, the Trust made the bizarre proposal that the school should consult on converting to a grammar school, which created headlines and may simply have been a PR exercise. Now academically outstanding, but has reduced its intake for 2018 back to its original PAN creating large oversubscription. At the time of writing, has moved into new buildings which will no doubt increase its popularity further, and may be the reason for the smaller intake.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

prefs

1st prefs not offered

Vacancies

2014

140

69

42

2015

140

81

27

2016

160

96

5

0

2017

170

146

19

0

2018

140

154

55

0

2019

140

224

No appeals heard 2014-17

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc

Eng and Maths)

KS5

Progress

2014

n/a

n/a

38

2015

n/a

n/a

41

2016

0.48

43.4

GCSE Grade 5

Eng & Maths

2017

0.57

44.7

n/a

-0.25(A)

2018

0.45(AA)

46.8

38%

-0.59(WBA)

For coverage of excellent GCSE results, 2018, see here. Meopham was second highest Kent non-selective school for Progress 8 'Well Above Average' and seventh highest for Attainment 8 in 2017. For 2018, third highest Progress 8 and again seventh for Attainment 8.

You will find an article on 2018 oversubscription data for grammar schools here, and for non-selective schools here. For Grammar School Preferences, only grammar qualified are counted. The PAN is the Published Admission Number and refers to the number of places available in the year group for each school. If additional places were offered, I have recorded this under PAN.

A Report on 2018 Appeals Outcomes here. For Attainment 8 and Progress 8 and further information on the performance of all Kent schools with 2018 GCSE scores go to here for explanation.

New Line Learning Academy, Maidstone. The Academy was formed from the amalgamation of the former Senacre School and Oldborough Manor School, in West Maidstone, and is now in new buildings costing some £31 million. Originally sponsored by the Future Schools Trust, along with Cornwallis Academy,but now rebrokered to Every Child, Every Day Academy Trust. OFSTED October 2015 - Requires Improvement(as in 2013 & 2015). The academy has struggled to attract students since its formation; in March 2013 - just 122 places were offered out of 210 available, including 41 allocated by KCC (who did not apply). Headteacher claimed on Radio Kent in March 2014 it was built to cater for future rises in number of Maidstone children over next 30 years! So far this has not happen. Must be worried about the impact of the new Free science and technology school to be run by Valley Invicta Trust and opening in 2020. The Future Schools Trust was served with a Warning Notice in 2017 about low standards in both secondary schools.

NLL and Cornwallis have now been taken away from Future Schools and given to the Every Child, Every Day Academy Trust.

North School,Ashford. Since being rebuilt under a PFI Scheme, the school was initially heavily oversubscribed. March 2013 - still oversubscribed with 39 first choices oversubscribed. OFSTED Dec 2013 - Special Measures. Still oversubscribed for 2014 entry and expanded by 10 places to 225! OFSTED September 2017 - Good having worked up from a Special Measures finding in 2013, partly based on government information about GCSE 5A*-C pass rates that was misleadingly low. The school achieved 42% that year, above the government floor standard. Taken over by Swale Academies Trust, performance and popularity dived again for 2015, although both Progress and Attainment picked up for 2016. Was the least popular school in Ashford, but numbers have picked up for September 2019..

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

Vacant places

Local

Authority

Allocations

2014

225

188

1

0

0

2015

215

122

0

48

13

2016

215

122

0

42

11

2017

215

142

0

32

15

2018

215

159

2

2

20

2019

215

208

2014 - 2018 no appeals for school admission

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

36

2015

n/a

n/a

24

2016

-0.34

42.9

Grade 5 or above

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.36 (BA)

36.7

23%

0.44(WAA)

2o18

-0.26(BA)

38.1

24%

In the bottom third of Kent non-selective schools at P8 and A8 for 2017 GCSEs. KS5 (A Levels plus BTEC) best progress score in the county.

2014 - 2018 all first preferences offered. Sudden slump in popularity for 2017 ; corresponding with rise at Meopham

2014 - 2017 no appeals for school admission

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

49

2015

n/a

n/a

49

2016

0.01

47.2

Grade 5 or above

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.29 (BA)

41.9

31%

0(A)

2018

-0.05(A)(P)

42.8

31%

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Northfleet Technology College.Completely rebuilt under BSF (Building Schools for the Future, a PFI scheme). OFSTED January 2017 - Good. Usually picks up some boys from Ebbsfleet area because of the unpopularity of Ebbsfleet Academy. Fall in popularity from 2017 ; corresponding with rise at Meopham

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st preferences

not offered

Vacant places

2014

164

149

3

0

2015

164

156

20

0

2016

190

142

11

0

2017

194

139

0

16

2018

164

128

0

0

2019

164

108

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

3

3

2015

7

7

2016

2

2

No appeals 2017 or 2018.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Progress 8

Attainment 8

% 5A*-C (inc Eng and Maths)

KS5 Progress

Score

2014

n/a

n/a

54

2015

n/a

n/a

48

2016

0.34

49.6

Grade 5 or above

Eng & Maths

2017

-0.45 (BA)

36.7

11%

-0.77(WBA)

2018

2-0.41(BA)(P)

36.4

15%

GCSE results usually around the government floor standard, but exceptional for 2016 in both Progress and Attainment. Fourth highest performing NS school at Level C or better in English and maths 2016, at 70%. Slumped badly in 2017.

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Norton Knatchbull School,Ashford. This grammar school usually filled when PAN was 150, but increased in 2014 to 180. OFSTED November 2017 - Goodagain. Ashford is expanding rapidly so school will fill in a couple of years without depending on appeals. Headteacher suddenly left for Christmas 2018 without new post 'to focus on her own career development'. She is to be succeeded some time in the summer by Ben Greene, currently head of Bullers Wood Girls School, Chislehurst.

INITIAL ALLOCATIONS

PAN

1st

preferences

1st prefs

not offered

Vacant places

2015

180

111

0

59

2016

180

164

2

0

2017

180

125

0

23

2018

210

130

0

56

2019

149

157

PAN likely to increase for March as in previous years.

APPEALS FOR SCHOOL PLACES

Appeals Heard

Upheld

2014

42

32

2015

63

53

2016

60

29

2017

40

26

2018

66

46

Consistently high proportion of successful appeals historically, as the school aims to fill to capacity.